AC repair or replace? Use the $5,000 rule and the refrigerant test
Two numbers decide it: the unit's age times the repair quote, and which refrigerant it runs. Here's the math, 2026 prices, and when a repair is just paying to delay.
The tech says the compressor is going and hands you a quote. Repair or replace is a four-figure decision, and you're making it in your driveway while he waits. Here's how to make it in ten minutes with two numbers you can get from the unit's label.
Step 1: Find the age
The manufacture date is on the data plate on the outdoor condenser. Most brands encode it in the serial number — the first four digits are often week and year, or the third and fourth digits are the year. The brand's website has a decoder. Central AC lasts 12–17 years; heat pumps 10–15.
Step 2: Find the refrigerant
Same data plate. It'll say one of three things:
- R-22 (Freon). Phased out in 2020. No new R-22 is made; recharging costs $150–$300 per pound and a system takes 5–15 pounds. If it's an R-22 unit and it's leaking, replace it. You're not repairing a 15+ year old system by pouring $2,000 of unobtainable refrigerant into it.
- R-410A (Puron). Standard 2010–2024. Still serviceable and will be for years, but new R-410A equipment stopped being manufactured in 2025. Parts remain available; a reasonable repair candidate.
- R-454B or R-32. The current low-GWP refrigerants in 2025+ equipment. If your unit runs one of these, it's new — repair, and check the warranty, which is likely still active.
Step 3: The $5,000 rule
Multiply the unit's age by the repair quote. Over $5,000, replace. Under, repair.
| Age | Repair quote | Age × quote | Call | |---|---|---|---| | 6 yrs | $600 (capacitor + contactor) | $3,600 | Repair | | 9 yrs | $1,400 (fan motor) | $12,600 | Replace | | 12 yrs | $350 (capacitor) | $4,200 | Repair, but start budgeting | | 14 yrs | $2,200 (compressor) | $30,800 | Replace, no question | | 4 yrs | $1,800 (evaporator coil) | $7,200 | Check warranty first — coils are often covered 10 yrs |
The rule isn't magic; it's a shorthand for "how many more repair cycles is this unit likely to need." A 14-year-old system with a dying compressor will have a fan motor and a coil leak behind it.
The repairs that are almost always worth doing
Regardless of age, these are cheap enough to just fix:
- Capacitor — $150–$400 installed. The most common AC failure. Unit hums but the fan won't start, or the fan spins but the compressor doesn't kick on. If you're comfortable around 240V and know how to discharge a capacitor, the part is $15–$40 — but one mistake is a serious shock, so most people should pay the $200.
- Contactor — $150–$350. Pitted contacts, unit won't start or won't stop.
- Clogged condensate line — $0 DIY. Shop-vac the line at the outdoor end, then pour a cup of vinegar down the indoor access tee. If your AC "works but shuts off" in humid weather, this is probably it.
- Dirty condenser coil — $0 DIY. Kill power, hose the fins from the inside out. A matted coil can cut capacity 30% and reads like a refrigerant problem.
The repairs that usually mean replacement
- Compressor — $1,800–$3,000 installed. On anything past 8 years, replace the system instead.
- Evaporator coil — $1,200–$2,500. Only worth it under warranty or on a unit under 6 years old.
- Refrigerant leak you can't find — a "recharge" that holds for a season is $300–$600 you'll pay every year. Leak search is $200–$400 and often finds a coil. See above.
What replacement costs in 2026
A standard-efficiency (14.3–15 SEER2) 3-ton central AC: $6,000–$9,500 installed. A 17+ SEER2 variable-speed system: $9,000–$14,000. A heat pump that replaces both AC and furnace: $8,000–$16,000, and federal tax credits plus utility rebates can shave $2,000–$4,000 off a qualifying heat pump — ask every installer to itemize the incentives, because some won't unless pushed.
Every replacement quote should include a Manual J load calculation. If a contractor sizes your new unit by looking at the old one, get a different contractor. Oversized systems short-cycle, don't dehumidify, and die early.
Get three bids, not one
The spread on identical equipment between three local installers is routinely $2,000–$4,000. The Find a Pro page gets two to four screened HVAC quotes in a day; it costs nothing and it's the single highest-return hour you'll spend on this decision. If the tech in your driveway is pressuring you to decide now, that's your answer about that company.